Alternative Names

Information

About 2 in 5 Americans have used marijuana at least once in their life.

Marijuana comes from a plant called hemp (Cannabis sativa). The main, active ingredient in marijuana is THC (short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). This and other ingredients, called cannabinoids, are found in the leaves and flowering parts of the marijuana plant. Hashish is a substance taken from the tops of female marijuana plants. It contains the highest amount of THC.

How fast you feel the effects of marijuana depend on how you use it:

If you breathe in marijuana smoke (such as from a joint or pipe), you may feel the effects within seconds to several minutes.

If you eat foods containing the drug (such as "hash brownies,") you may feel the effects within 30 - 60 minutes.

Marijuana acts on your central nervous system. Low to moderate amounts of the drug may cause:

Increased appetite ("the munchies")

Feeling of joy (euphoria)

Relaxed feeling

Increased sensations of sight, hearing, and taste

Other effects can include:

Feelings of panic

Anxiety

Excessive fear (paranoia)

Decreased ability to perform tasks that require coordination (such as driving a car)

PCP is an illegal drug that comes as a white powder, which can be dissolved in alcohol or water. PCP may be smoked, shot into a vein, or taken by mouth. How quickly it affects you depends on how you take it.

Shooting up: If given through a vein, PCP's effects start within 2-5 minutes.

Hallucinogens can lead to extreme anxiety and loss of touch with reality, called "bad trips". These experiences can come back as a "flashback," even without using the drug again. Such experiences typically occur during times of increased stress, and tend to occur less often and intensely after stopping the drugs.

COCAINE

Cocaine is a strong stimulant. The abuse of cocaine increased dramatically in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but is now on the decline. Other names to describe different forms of cocaine include "crack," "coke," "snow," and "speedball."

Cocaine may be taken in different ways:

Snorting: Inhaling it through the nose

Shooting up: Dissolving it in water and injecting it into a vein

Speedball: Mixing with heroin and injecting into a vein

Smoked: Cocaine may be changed into smokeable forms known as freebase or crack

Regular users of cocaine may need larger amounts of the drug to feel these effects. Regular users of cocaine may develop:

Loss of interest in school, work, family, and friends

Memory loss

Mood swings

Sleep problems

Social withdrawal

Heart disease and other blood vessel disease

A hole in the septum that separates the nostrils

Heavy use may cause paranoia, which can lead to violence.

AMPHETAMINES

Amphetamines are stimulants. Other names used to describe amphetamines or methamphetamines include "crystal," "go," "crank," and "cross-tops."

Amphetamines can be very addictive. Prescription amphetamines are considered controlled substances. Over-the-counter (OTC) amphetamine look-alike drugs are often abused. These drugs typically contain caffeine and other stimulants, and are sold as appetite suppressants or stay-awake/stay-alert aids.

Signs and symptoms of stimulant use include:

Dilated pupils

Exaggerated feeling of well-being (euphoria)

Fast heart rate

Restlessness and hyperactivity

Skin flushing

Sleep disturbances

Tremors

Appetite decrease and weight loss

INHALANTS

Inhalant use became popular with young teens in the 1960s with "glue sniffing." Since then, a greater variety of inhalants have become popular. Inhalant use typically involves younger teens or school-age children.

Opiates come from opium poppies. These drugs include morphine and codeine. Opioids are artificial substances that have the same effect as morphine or codeine. The term "narcotic" refers to either type of drug.

Needle marks on the skin ("tracks"), scars or abscesses if drug use is by injection

Relaxed or euphoric state

Small "pinpoint" pupils

Coma, respiratory depression, and death in high doses

Because heroin is commonly injected into a vein (used intravenously), there are health concerns about sharing contaminated needles among IV drug users. Complications of sharing contaminated needles include

References

Version Info

David B. Merrill, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Bethanne Black, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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